Dispensing system

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for dispensing foamable formulations. The liquid is placed in the container portion and exits through a nozzle in the form of a foam. When the walls of the container are squeezed, or when a pressurized gas is introduced, air within it and also the liquid is forced upwardly through a porous member and is mixed, thereby producing foam. After each dose or charge has been dispensed, replacement air enters through a vent, with that portion of the foam which is in the nozzle acting as a valve to prevent reentry of the foam into the interior of the dispenser.

= United States Patent [72] lnventor Robert E. Thompson Maplewood, NJ.[21 Appl. No. 821,572 [22] Filed May 5, 1969 [45] Patented Nov. 23, 1971[73] Assignee Shering Corporation Bloomfield, NJ. The portion of theterm of the patent subsequent to Oct. 10, 1984, has been diselaimed.

[54] DISPENSING SYSTEM 1 Claim, 11 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.C1 222/190, 222/189, 222/211, 222/207., 239/343, 239/327 [5|]Int. Cl B67d 5/58 [50] Field of Search 222/ l 89, 211, 321,187,146, 207,546,190;239/327, 344, 343

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,36l,304 l/l968 Thompson222/189 2,812,] 17 11/1957 Butkus et a1. 222/189 2,761,833 9/1956 Ward222/183 2,729,505 l/l956 Harvey 239/327 3,346,146 10/1967 Thompson.222/189 3,010,613 11/1961 Stossel 222/190 3,422,993 1/1969 Boehm et al..222/190 FOREIGN PATENTS 744,255 10/1966 Canada 222/21 1 PrimaryExaminer-Samuel F. Coleman Assistant Examiner-James M. SlatteryAttorney-Stowell and Stowell the foam into the interior ofthe dispenser.

PAIENTEDW 23 19?! 3, 622.049

SHEET 1 [IF 3 IO l4 I l8 i 22 Z? I 1 I6 42 I I l4 i l INVENTOR ROBERT E.THOMPSON Jim! Maw ATTO RNEYS PATENTED 2 l97| 3.622.049

SHEET 2 [IF 3 INVENTOR ROBERT E THOMPSON PAIENTEDuuv 23 ml SHEET 3 BF 3FIG? ROBERT E. THOMPSON BY flu) Z Jim/z ATTORNEYS DISPENSING SYSTEM Thisinvention relates to an improved dispenser for foamable liquids such asmedicaments, hair conditioners, window cleaners, and the like, and inparticular to a dispenser which will cause such liquid to mix with airand to thereby be dispensed in the form of an air-liquid foam.

The dispenser has particular utility as a dispenser of medicaments as itis often the desire of medical practitioners that certain medicaments beapplied in the form of a foam. Such foamed medicaments are sometimesapplied within body cavities which open to the exterior portion of thebody. Accordingly, there'arise situations wherein rather long nozzlesare required.

In general, the prior art is aware of collapsible wall containers as,for example, seen in my prior US. Pat. Nos. 3,361,304 and 3,346,146. Theprior art is also aware of a general class of containers having spoutsor nozzles for dispensing liquids as may be seen, for example, in US.Pat. No. 2,752,199 issued to Newell, and No. 1,735,784 issued to Olson.Further, both of these latter two examples of the prior art are of aresilient wall construction wherein a temporary increase in containerpressure is obtained by manually deforming the one or more walls of thecontainer. While containers of these types, and particularly of thetypes illustrated in my two above prior patents, have been in the mainsatisfactory, certain difficulties have been observed and problems havearisen in dispensing medicaments and other foamable liquids in the formof an air-liquid foam.

These problems arise particularly in the case of repeated dispensingaction over short intervals of time. An example of this would be whereinthe user squeezes the resilient container several times over arelatively short period in order to obtain a relatively large quantityof foam. With certain dispensing containers having relatively shortnozzles the problems which arise are relatively minor and do not requireparticular attention.

ln dispensing foamable liquids from squeeze-type containers, the liquiditself is of necessity a foamable formulation, as distinguished fromnonfoaming liquids employed in ordinary squeeze-spray containers. Suchfoamable formulations generally contain surface-active agents and arewell understood by those skilled in the art. The foamable liquids causefoam to form in the bottle from intake air through the delivery orificeafter each squeeze. Upon repeated action, the container can be so filledwith foam that repeat squeezings feed foam through certain air vents tothereby change the forces delivering air and liquid through the maindispensing orifice. This in turn results in a heavier foam than desiredor else results in dispensing liquid through the foamer head. Thus, byreference to FIG. 1 of my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,304, rapid squeezingof the container can result in foam finding its way into the interior ofthe container and, with continued squeezing, foam instead of merely airwill pass upwardly through the openings 36 to thereby produce a poorfoam and/or nonuniform doses. Unless the dispenser is designed tofunction in this manner, such a mode of operation is to be avoided ifpossible.

This problem of foam formation within the container, as opposed to foamformation outside of the container as intended, is accentuatedproportionately to the amount of residual foam in the nozzle. The readerwill appreciate that after the user has squeezed the container severaltimes in order to dispense foam, there will be some foam left within thenozzle after the last squeeze. This foam generally sucks back slowly,partially and variably, into the air bypass openings and also down intothe dip tube itself. Even though the foam is not usually very viscous,sufficient resistance is developed in the dip tube so that on repeatsqueezes sometimes little or variable or no foam is delivered becausethe increase in pressure on top of the liquid when the container issqueezed may result merely in the passage of air through the air passageways at the top of the container.

Such departure from desired and satisfactory action is especiallytroublesome with repeat action in the case of relatively lengthydelivery tips or nozzles. For example, approximately one-eighth inch to1 foot nozzles may be required in the administration of a foamed productin certain body cavities such as the rectum, the vagina, the ear, etc.The dispensing behavior with such relatively lengthy and elongated tipsor nozzles accentuates the above-described results and consequences ofthe necessarily residual foam in the nozzle at the end of each squeeze.

In an attempt to overcome the abovedescribed problems in dispensingfoamed medicaments from resilient wall containers, various remedies wereattempted. It was found that a check valve at the upper end of the diptube helped somewhat. Also, different internal diameters of dip tubeswere tried and some improvement was noted. Finally, an inlet valve inthe squeeze bottle itself was conceived and the noted effect wasdramatic in its benefits. Further, this single valve in the containerwall was found to overcome the noted difficulties and no other valveswere required. With the valve in the container wall, there is minimal orno suck-back of the foam. This surprising result is considered to be dueto the following factors. Apparently the viscosity of the foam in thesmall interstices of the porous foam forming structure causes the foammass to function, for practical purposes, like a check valve. The airrequired to refill the partial vacuum within the container above theliquid medicament enters rapidly and preferentially through thecontainer wall valve. Thus, instead of relying upon plural check valves,by this discovery one is able to utilize the viscosity of the foamitself as a virtual check valve adjacent the top ofthe dip tube.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a typical resilient wall containeradapted for practicing this invention which may conveniently be formedof plastic or the like.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary view illustrating a typicalcheck valve in the container wall.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1, and illustrates an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the upper portion of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross section on line 66 of FIG. 4, and taken atright angles to the section of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are top views, in two nozzle positions, of the embodimentof FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a view taken along section9-9 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 10 is a view taken along section 10-10 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 5, andillustrates a variant.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 10 denotes generally aresilient wall dispensing container suitable for the practice of thisinvention. The container is defined by a main and lower portion 12, anintermediate portion 14 and an upper neck portion 16. As illustrated inmy US. Pat. No. 3,346,146, the external surface of neck 16 is providedwith threads to receive complementary threads of a cap element or foamerfitment 18 which may also be formed of plastic, and whereby the fitmentmay be releasably secured to the container. An elongated and separablehead element 20 is pro vided at a medial portion thereof with anintegral flange 22 adapted to seat, as illustrated, on top of the neck16 and is borne against by a portion of integral cap element 18. It willbe noted that when the fitment 18 is in its threaded relationship withthe container neck, a shoulder portion on the fitment engages the fiange22 to securely maintain the outlet orifice means or head element 20 inits seated engagement within the neck portion of the container. Aconventional dip tube formed of plastic or the like is denoted by thenumeral 24 and is positioned with one end at the bottom of the containerwhile its other end is supported (as by friction fit) within a bore atthe upper end of head 20. The numeral 26 denotes either one of twobypass air passages radially positioned with respect to the upper end ofdip tube 24, with the lower end of each passageway communicating withthe interior of head element 20 and hence with the interior of thecontainer 10.

The upper ends of these vents 26 communicate with a horizontallyextending passageway 28, the latter in turn communicating with avertically extending passageway 30 in the extreme upper end of head 20.The upper end of the fitment encloses the head or outlet nozzle portionand a porous element 32 is secured across the upper portion of thefitment. The porous element is similar to and for the same purpose asdisclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,346,146. A nozzle 34 also of plastic isfitted over the cap element 18 and may itself be provided with externalthreads 36 for the reception of a second cap or closure member notillustrated. The uppermost portion of nozzle 34 is apertured as at 38and the numeral 40 denotes an air-liquid medicament foam in the interiorof the nozzle.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the numeral 41 connotes a valve defined by anaperture 42 in the wall of segment 14 and may preferably be formedthrough a portion of the container wall which is slightly thickened, asdenoted by the numeral 44. Number 46 denotes a flap shown in solid linein its closed position and in its open position is indicated by thedashed lines. The curved arrows adjacent the passageway 42 denoteambient air passing from the exterior to the interior of the container.

The numeral 48 denotes a supply of foamable liquid placed in thecontainer and adapted to be dispensed. In operation, the user grasps thecontainer 10 and squeezes the sides together, thereby increasing thepressure within the volume V of the container above the medicament 48.This increase in pressure is accompanied by two actions. The firstaction is that liquid 48 is forced upward through the dip tube 24 andexits through its top towards aperture 30. At the same time, air withinthe volume V is forced upwardly through the passageways 26 and intopassageway 28. The flow of upcoming liquid from dip tube 24 isintersected by this air in passageway 28 and accordingly there is formeda mixture of liquid and air immediately above the dip tube 24. Thismixture passes through opening and impinges onto porous element 32. Afoam denoted by the numeral is formed, with the foam being dispensedfrom nozzle 34 through exit opening 38.

The reader will now be in a position to comprehend the state of affairsmentioned which would exist without the valve 46. Thus, after the sidesof the container 10 had been squeezed inwardly to their maximumdeformation by the user, the resilient walls would move outwardly inorder to resume their original position. This results in a partialvacuum within the volume V. A consideration of FIG. 2 will show that,with the foam 40 residium in the nozzle, the partial vacuum will beabated by ambient air coming into the nozzle through the upper opening38 and carrying some of the foam back through the porous element 32 andinto the opening 30. From this point, the foam will divide, a portiongoing down into the dip tube 24 and a portion going down throughpassageways 26 and into the interior V of the container. When only oneor two squeezing dispensing operations are employed, this describedbehavior is particularly troublesome. However, it will readily becomprehended that with extremely rapid squeezing over short timeintervals with rather lengthy nozzles, the amount of foam which may bedrawn back into the container 10 can be substantial. As explained above,the presence of foam within the container 10 will nearly always resultin subsequent dispensing operations yielding the desired material in aform other than the intended air-liquid foam.

In accordance with this invention, a valve such as that illustrated atFIG. 3 of the drawings is placed in the container wall. The valve is aso-called one-way or check valve and will admit air from the outsideinto the container but not the reverse flow path. With the valve, whenthe resilient walls commence to return to their original position afterbeing squeezed, the partial vacuum thus created will cause the valve 41to be opened, thus admitting air from the exterior and abating thevacuum. Due to its viscosity, the foam mass 40 residuum in the nozzle34, in conjunction with the porous member, will act as a valve toprelude entry of ambient air through the nozzle 34, as opposed to theentry of foam into the container by virtue of the above-described actionwithout the valve 41.

It will be understood that the same results would not follow by placinga check valve in the upper portion of the dip tube 24, in a mannersimilar to the check valve at the upper end of the dip tube of theabove-noted Newell patent. Further, by virtue of this invention, such acheck valve is unnecessary in dispensing a foam which generates a massgreat enough to act as a check valve itself when the partial vacuum isbeing relieved after the maximum amount of container squeeze.

It will further be observed that the particular type of valve,illustrated in detail at FIG. 3 of the drawings, is not critical for thepractice of this invention. For example, the valve could be of thespring-urged ball type or could be of any other convenient type. It willfurther be understood that the valve could be placed at any part of thecontainer which is above the liquid medicament level. The flow passagedefined by the check valve, such as flow passageway 42, defines a secondor distinct flow passageway relative to the opening 30. The latter maybe defined as a first or main exit or flow passageway of the container.

As an example of parameters which have been successfully employed,reference is made to my U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,304. For example, the outletopening 30 may preferably be from 0.025 to 0.042 inches in diameter, thedip tube 24 may have a bore of 0.022 to 0.082 inches in diameter, andthe area of the vents 26 from 0.0009 to 0.0018 square inches.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 through 11 of the drawings, a modification ofthe invention is illustrated. In FIG. 4, a configuration similar to theembodiment of FIG. I is illustrated, wherein the numeral 50 denotesgenerally a dispenser/container similar to the dispenser 10 illustratedat FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The numeral 52 denotes the main lowerbody of the dispenser, similar to element 12 of FIGS. 1 and 2, and isdefined by a container having a narrowed mouth. An upper cap 54 issnapped on to sidewalls of the mouth of the container by virtue of aninwardly extending lip 55 engaged as show with a thickened portion 56around the upper part of the mouth of container 52. The cap 54 alsocarries an integral nozzle 57 having an inlet or rear chamber 58 at itsentrance end. A plug 59 is positioned over and closes the mouth of thecontainer. The plug contains an opening or passageway 60 therethroughsurrounded at the upper surface of the plug by upstanding walls. Thenumeral 62 denotes a foam producing element, here in the form of a wirescreen. This element is similar to element 42 of my US. Pat. No.3,346,146. When a foamable liquid passes through the screen 62, theaction of the liquid passing through the interstices promotes theformation ofa foam. The numeral 64 denotes yet another portion of theopening or passageway through the plug 59, above a narrowed region 65.Slots 66 are provided in the wall of aperture 67. The numeral 68 denotesa dip tube extending from socket 69 in the lower portion ofthe plug 59,to adjacent the bottom of container 52. The slots 66 provide airpassages communicating with the interior of the container and the region65. The elements thus far described, including the screen 62, mayconveniently be formed ofplastic.

The numeral 70 denotes an aperture extending completely through the cap54 and, as illustrated at FIG. 5 of the drawings, in operative positionregisters with a second passageway or opening 72 through the plug 59. Aball element 74 rests on protrusions formed within the opening. In theillustrated position, ambient air is free to pass in through opening 70and around the ball 74 into the interior of container 52. Upon a suddenincrease in pressure within the container, the ball 74 is pushedupwardly and thereby blocks airflow through passage 72.

As illustrated particularly at FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, the cap54 is rotatable on and about the mouth of container 52. In the positionindicated at FIG. 7 of the drawings, the opening 70 in the cap 54registers with opening 72 in plug 59. Further, cavity 58 at the end ofthe nozzle 57 is in registry with opening 60 and mesh 62. This is thedispensing position of the cap relative to the container. After thedispensing operation has taken place and it is desired to store bientexternal conditions during storage. The nonle 57 carriesan integralextension 76 having therein a curved channel 78 into which the wallsaround opening 60 extend and abut. Dur- ,ing rotation, the curvedchannel slides over the upwardly extending portions around opening 60.In the position shown in FIG. 8, the opening 60 is out of registrationwith chamber 58 and the contents of container 52 are accordinglyprotected.

During the operation of the embodiments above described, the generalmode of operation is the same as that described with respect to theembodiment illustrated at FIG. 2 of the drawings. The air passageways 66correspond to passages 26, with the same foam producing action incooperation with mesh 62.

Turning now to FIG. ll of the drawings, a variant is illustrated whereinthe dip tube 68 is attached to the lower part of opening 72, instead ofto opening 69. During the operation of this embodiment of the invention,the container 52 is squeezed several times, the recovery to originalconfiguration of the resilient sidewalls of 52 being accompanied by aninflux of air through opening 70 and down into dip tube 68. Some foam isgenerated within the interior of lumen of the dip tube. With repeatedsqueezings the interior of the container 52 above the liquid level isfilled with foam which finds its way out through the dispensing snout57, passing through screen 62, where it is reformed before final exit.

While intended primarily for use in the illustrated, upright positionsto dispense a foam, the dispensing systems of each embodiment maydispense a liquid instead, by inverting the container and then squeezingor applying the pressure discharge gas. A liquid spray may also bedispensed by removing the foamer element 32 of the embodiment of FIG. 2or the foamer element 62 of the embodiment of FIG. 5 and operating thedispenser in the upright position.

Iclaim: I

l. A combination dispenser comprising a container having an outletopening and a deformable sidewall, an outlet orifice member releasablycarried over the outlet opening, a dip tube depending from said outletorifice member for directing liquid from the container to the outletorifice when the container sidewall is squeezed inwardly, a tubularfoamer fitment releasably and coaxially carried by said outlet orificemember, said fitment member having an opening of substantially largerdiameter than said outlet opening therethrough, a porous element mountedin said fitment across the said opening and in spaced relation to saidoutlet orifice, a foam-receiving chamber having an opening therethroughreleasably carried by said foamer fitment, said foam-receiving chamberacting as a valve because of the collection of a foam mass residuumtherein to preclude entry of air into said container through said outletopening, valve means in the sidewall of the container below saidchamber, said valve means allowing the passage of ambient air only intosaid container, and closure means for said dispenser.

i I i i i 22 33 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONPatent No. 5,622, *9 Dated m r 23, 1971 Inventor) Robert E. Thompson Itis certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 5, line 55, "is particularly should read is not particularlyColumn 5, line +7 "residium" should read residuum Column 5, line 75,"prelude" should read preglude Column A, line 57, "Show" should readShOWE Signed and sealed this 2nd day of May 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETGHER, JR. ROBERT GO'ITSCHAIK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents

1. A combination dispenser comprising a container having an outletopening and a deformable sidewall, an outlet orifice member releasablycarried over the outlet opening, a dip tube depending from said outletorifice member for directing liquid from the container to the outletorifice when the container sidewall is squeezed inwardly, a tubularfoamer fitment releasably and coaxially carried by said outlet orificemember, said fitment member having an opening of substantially largerdiameter than said outlet opening therethrough, a porous element mountedin said fitment across the said opening and in spaced relation to saidoutlet orifice, a foam-receiving chamber having an opening therethroughreleasably carried by said foamer fitment, said foam-receiving chamberacting as a valve because of the collection of a foam mass residiumtherein to preclude entry of air into said container through said outletopening, valve means in the sidewall of the container below saidchamber, said valve means allowing the passage of ambient air only intosaid container, and closure means for said dispenser.